another visa help question

[sideways_gaijin]

Hi all,

Been saving some money over the past few months for my move to Japan. Going to be heading over to you by the end of September. Been checking out all the websites like jobsinjapan.com and monster.co.jp etc. but I think it's useless without actually being in Japan.
I will have around 600,000Yen to bring with me so I will be able to survive for a while. I have a place nr. Yokohama with a friend so accomodation is sorted. I will also be buying a car as soon as possible.

My question then is this:

If I come over on a 6month holiday visa, then go around applying for jobs (probably at bars, unless I can get IT work) and get accepted for a job. If I then get a letter from the company saying they have offered me full time employment can I use this, plus my proof of accomodation to get a working Visa? Most bars I've spoken to said they'd employ me, but not sponsor me. So basically I can't get sponsored, but if I had a Visa they'd give me a job.

I'm sure with Japan being Japan it won't be that easy....or is it?

Thanks in advance

James

[Steve Bildermann]

Well it's hard to tell you *anything* useful when you don't say where you are coming from? Visa situations are different for different passport holders.

More information needed.

[maraboutslim]

1- No such thing as a 6 month 'Holiday' visa.
2- No way to change any kind of 'tourist' via to anything else without leaving the country.

Unless things have changed recently, I don't think either of those statements are accurate.

1. Actually, UK or other commonwealth types can get six month "working holiday" visas, can't they?

2. This one is somewhat true: Americans, for example, can't change from tourist to working without leaving the country. But I believe there are some countries whose citizens can change visa status without leaving Japan however. Also, "anything else" isn't strictly true, even for Americans: one can change from a tourist visa to a spouse visa without leaving the country.


I agree that we need to know where you are from before being able to give more accurate info. I can say that places like bars aren't going to sponsor you for a working visa. An IT company might. Also, keep in mind you will need at least a BA or BS degree before the government is going to give you a working visa in a professional field (even English teaching, ha!).

-Slim

[Steve Bildermann]

[gpvillamil]

Hi there, I'm a US citizen and I changed a tourist visa to working visa without getting married

Basically, I applied for a working visa, sponsored by my company. Once the "certificate of eligibility was issued, I had two options:

1) Leave the country, apply for the working visa at a Japanese consulate with the CoE (usually 2-3 days) then return.

2) Apply for a change of visa status - this involves submitting the application and the CoE to the immigration office in Shinagawa. You then wait 3 weeks (during which you can't leave the country) and they will give you the working visa. While you're waiting for that, you can apply for your certificate of Alien Registration, which will take a couple of weeks. When you get your working visa and CoAR you can then get your re-entry permit (sameday).

The whole process was pretty painless, I don't know how key it was to have sponsorship from my company. (I suspect it was pretty darn important).

[Steve Bildermann]

That's why we need to know where he's from. That and the sponsorship/contract from the company is the key.

gpvillamil, when did you do this tourist to working visa switch?

[sideways_gaijin]

Hi,

I'm from England. Over here we can get 6 month holiday Visa's no problem! Have spoken to Japan Embassy in London and also UK Embassy in Tokyo. They said it won't be a problem for me to get a 6 month holiday visa.

Don't have a degree! I was hoping to get a job to grant me a visa and then to setup my own company shipping auto parts back to UK and Europe.

Thanks again

James

[ramchop]

[Steve Bildermann]

What the preceding thread does show is that in Japan 'it all depends'

Anyway I'll go down to the immigration office in Nagoya tomorrow and get an old friend Mr. Okubo (chief immigration guy) to give me the current regulations for UK citizens. I can also drop in the Briitsh consul sub office nearby.

Stand by.....

[Big Booger]

I sure hope you are mentally ready for Japan.. might want to turn off all air conditioning for a couple of weeks. Don't wear deodorant for a few weeks. Stop brushing your teeth, drink lots of beer, and eat sushi, mame, tako, ika, natto, etc..

Also get used to being watched all the time, and learn to have patience. Some procedures here move at a snails pace.. others are very quick..

I suggest studying up on modern Japanese customs, rules, and lifestyle.. it will definitely help.

Good luck with your visa situation.

[sideways_gaijin]

That'd be great!

Yeah, I only have 6 weeks experience of Japan and even after 6 weeks some things were getting on my nerves. The Japanese don't seem to have any common sense! I tried to order a meal without an egg once and they couldn't do it. I argued that all they have to do is not put the egg on the plate, but no....that was impossible. Other things that slip my mind now annoyed me too. But overall I loved it!

Cheers guys

James

[gpvillamil]

That's why we need to know where he's from. That and the sponsorship/contract from the company is the key.

gpvillamil, when did you do this tourist to working visa switch?

One month ago.

[Taro Toporific]

That's why we need to know where he's from. That and the sponsorship/contract from the company is the key.

gpvillamil, when did you do this tourist to working visa switch?

One month ago.

I had heard rumors of this recently but now I figured it was just gaijin-on-drugs talk.

NORMALLY, for the past 20 years, switching a tourist to working visa required a trip outside Japan. That's what happened to me even though I "sponsorship/contract" was from Canon. The rationale that "the company is the key" didn't have any influence on J-Immigration and Canon had to pay for my Korea R/T airfare and 2-day hotelstay.

Like I said, I've been hearing for a couple years about this "tourist to working visa switch" but you are the first CONFIRMED case. Kool! I will tell my J-company contacts to give it a try rather than pay for the traditional run to Korea.

[ramchop]

I had heard rumors of this recently but now I figured it was just gaijin-on-drugs talk.
...
Like I said, I've been hearing for a couple years about this "tourist to working visa switch" but you are the first CONFIRMED case.

Where's the confirmation? How do you know that gpvillamil isn't just another gaijin-on-drugs?

[Taro Toporific]

I tried to order a meal without an egg once and they couldn't do it. I argued that all they have to do is not put the egg on the plate, but no....that was impossible.

Ahh, the old raw egg battle. I love it!
If it's a fast- or semi-fast food joint, give up. You CANNOT win since the poor fastfood droids MUST follow the manual. KATA is KING.

However, if you're talking to the 'master' of the noodle shop, minsuku, whatever, you can appeal to his common sense the "aliens cannot eat raw eggs." Be careful...Japanese will try to trick you from time to time: Raw egg shows up on pizza just like Italy!

[Taro Toporific]

... about this "tourist to working visa switch" but you are the first CONFIRMED case.

Where's the confirmation? How do you know that gpvillamil isn't just another gaijin-on-drugs?

His FG avatar, Sivasakti, maybe on a different plane of existence.

However, two very euro-aliens over at a Sony joint venture were claiming the same thing. Who knows with the phase-of-the-moon J-Immigration????? I once got an re-entery visa AT Narita Airport's Immigration Station (which is 100% impossible according their rules).

[gpvillamil]

Indeed. The complete picture is here.

The extraordinary hand-made vehicle contains a living five-legged hermaphrodite bull-cow, considered sacred by the local Hindus, and even by some of the Tibetans. (I am NOT making this up).

So if that is possible, perhaps getting your visa changed over without travel is indeed possible.

[mercutio]

Like I said, I've been hearing for a couple years about this "tourist to working visa switch" but you are the first CONFIRMED case. Kool! I will tell my J-company contacts to give it a try rather than pay for the traditional run to Korea.

It has likely changed recently. I am currently in the waiting stage that he described. My company actually hired a consultant to deal with the visa issues for me and apparently you no longer have to leave the country to get the visa changed but once the ball is rolling you cannot leave the country until the process is complete

[Taro Toporific]

The extraordinary hand-made vehicle contains a living five-legged hermaphrodite bull-cow, considered sacred by the local Hindus, and even by some of the Tibetans. (I am NOT making this up).

YEAH, a five-legged hermaphrodite bull-cow sounds like a great burger to me.... but that shrine chopper made of 1939 flat-head Harley copy are The True WHEELS of a HIGHER Plane of Existence. Perhaps the Sri Guru of Harley is in touch with Ezkeial's Wheels.

Love that full size JPEG which is now my wallpaper...
http://images.fotki.com/v3/free/98848/4/42018/125801/d02015-or.jpg

[Steve Bildermann]

[Taro Toporific]

[ramchop]

So now your cheap in-country FG colleagues will miss out on a free 2-day holiday. You'll be so popular!

[sideways_gaijin]

Excellent,

That's what I was hoping for.....interesting that sponsorship doesn't need to be from your potential employer. My family know some quite high up families in Tokyo so maybe I could beg one of them to sponsor me They'res quite a few jobs going for FG at video game companies at the moment. Paying $1K a week for checking english subtitles and voiceovers in the games. So, we'll have to wait and see what happens now. Better keep saving and aim for a move in September

Thanks again for getting that info! I'll buy you a beer when I'm in country!

Thanks all

James